1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2 English Standard Version
I realize our tendency to zero in upon the advocacy we have in our Heavenly Father. But do not so quickly pass over the severity of sin we read in verse one. For the sake of today’s devotional, I would like to share with you some thoughts extrapolated from the TNTC Commentary.
“2:1. The symmetrical construction of this paragraph now changes, lest it should be thought that the frank admission and full forgiveness of our sins (1:9–10) allowed us to think lightly of them. On the contrary, the author’s purpose is ‘to prevent sin, not to condone it’ (Brooke). So instead of adding ‘if’, as on the two previous occasions, John begins a new sentence in order to enlarge on the subject of sin in the Christian. He does this first negatively (so that you will not sin) and then positively (But if anybody does sin). It is important to hold these two statements in balance. It is possible to be either too lenient or too severe towards sin. Too great a lenience almost encourages sin in the Christian by stressing God’s provision for the sinner. An exaggerated severity, on the other hand, either denies the possibility of a Christian sinning or refuses him forgiveness and restoration if he falls. Both extreme positions are contradicted by John.[1]”
We must hold the balance between sin and advocacy by refusing to make a continual practice of sin or taking advantage of His willingness to advocate on our behalf. When lenience becomes our anthem, sin becomes our reality. At the same time, let us not forget the possibility of God’s forgiveness and restoration if we fall.
[1] John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 19, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 84.